Higher Education System

Running head: HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
Higher Education System
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HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
Higher education consists of post-secondary training and research guidelines
responsible for producing research work contributing to the society (Tilak 2015). The
concept of higher education would somehow remain incomplete without producing vast
amount of research work by the easy accessibility of information that would help in the
creation of knowledge. In England the higher education system can be considered as a
product of 19th century expansion that went on to emphasizing on the importance of
education, the rise of neoliberalism that sowed the seeds of change in the spheres of
economic and socio-politics. Higher education later become symbolic of a modern Britain,
where as in India, while discussing about higher education, it is relevant to bring into the
context Nalanda University that was the culmination of culture, discipline and education.
Higher education has evolved from the ancient practices of rigorous training and education
and gained a prominent picture in 1947 when the first Prime Minster of an independent India
fostered spirit of education amongst the masses (Diamond et al 2015).
However, the present state of higher education, each and every college and institution
have been made officially recognized and offer scholarships for the eligible students. As per
data, in 2017 round 50% of the total population in UK aimed for higher studies prompting to
the increase of 1.6 million students in UK (Heslop 2014). The institutions in UK are
managed by both government and privately owned individuals. The different funding
councils namely Scotland, Wales ensure that the majority of population can access to higher
education in UK. In the context of higher education,, UK has granted power to each
institution to decide upon the edibility criteria and requirements however the majority of
admissions are made via central coordinating agency and UCAS, the Universities and
Colleges Admissions Service. The first degree course is known as “honours” which takes
three years in England however four in other place like Wales. Students enrolls at Master’s
degree level which takes a time span of one year, two years for research Master’s and a

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HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
doctoral degree requires a minimum of three years in England. Where as in India, the
“honours” level consists of three years, in some stated the master’s degree time span varies
from one to two years (Bowen 2018). For students who are pursuing post-doctorate require
four to six years for the proper completion of their research paper. Some of the similarities in
the education systems prevalent in both the counties are the division of honours degree
into first-class honours, second and ordinary degree or fail in stark contrast to USA which
follows GPA.
In UK higher education has additionally the benefits of a professional study
environment that is lacking in many of the Indian institutions, with added job opportunities
which also has been subdued in India when compared with other countries. The facilities aid
the students in masters’ course with modern equipment which can only be afforded by a
privileged few. Additionally, UK’s higher education is dispersed with various job
opportunities which is a rarity in India (Richardson 2015). It is due to the campus placements
and future growth that many students choose UK as their favourite destination where higher
education system has expanded and accommodated technological advancement in classroom
for attaining easy understanding by the students. In contrast, India has been lagging behind
in this respect and many of its universities has become non-functional in assessing and
addressing to the students’ needs.
In India the literacy rate is 29.5% propelled by some of the influencing factors are
primarily social awareness and campaigns that has increased the students by 37% with a
growing number of students more inclined towards the teaching profession, motivation to
contribute a significant amount in research area (Richardson 2015). The sharp contrast is
evident in the 99% literacy rate of UK. In UK higher education and their excellent faculties
in masters’ course attract a number of foreign students promoting to the economic
development of the Kingdom whereas in India the advent of foreign students to institutions of